Gas bag module with cover

ABSTRACT

A gas bag module includes a housing for accommodating a folded gas bag, a cover connected to said housing by at least one tether and a fastener element on said housing for connection of said tether to said housing. To counteract extreme loading of the cover and other vehicle parts on deployment of the gas bag, said fastener element is plastically deformable when loaded by tensile forces in said tether as generated by inertial forces of said cover occurring on deployment of said gas bag.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a gas bag module, including a housing foraccommodating a folded gas bag, and a cover connected to the housing byat least one tether.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Gas bag modules in the field concerned are known. A gas bag module isarranged, for example, behind a dashboard panel and provided with acover fitting optically into the dashboard panel. This cover needs to besufficiently rugged so that it can withstand the loads during normalusage of the vehicle. It is especially covers having a large surfacearea, as used for instance in concealing front passenger gas bags, thatthus have a considerable mass. When such a cover is totally releasedfrom the dashboard panel during the deployment action of the gas bag, itneeds to be retained on the housing of the gas bag module by a tether,as a result of which in the course of the gas bag being deployed thecover is abruptly stopped so that solid fastener parts are required forsecuring the tether to the cover and housing which are capable ofwithstanding the high peak loads. Despite it being retained by means ofa tether, the cover flying off after activation of the gas bag may alsoresult in damage to the windscreen or other vehicle components.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is thus intended to counteract extreme loading of thecover of a gas bag module and other vehicle parts on deployment of thegas bag.

In accordance with the invention, a gas bag module is provided for thispurpose including a housing for accomodating a folded gas bag, and acover connected to the housing by at least one tether, wherein afastener element for the tether is applied to the housing, this fastenerelement being plastically deformable when affected by tensile forcesoccurring in the tether due to the mass inertia of the cover onactivation of the gas bag. In this way the kinetic energy of the covercan be effectively depleted over a predetermined deformation travel ofthe fastener element so that, more particularly, damage to thewindscreen is avoided. In addition, the peak loads occurring in thefastener element, tether and the connection of the tether to the coverare reduced, thus enabling a lighter and/or cheaper design of the tetherand its connection. Arranging the plastically deformable fastenerelement on the housing instead of on the cover makes a lightweightdesign of the cover possible.

In a further development of the invention, the fastener element isformed by a bracket having a slot for looping in the tether, as a resultof which the fastener element can be realized simply and cheaply, forexample as a sheet-metal part. Connecting the fastener element and thetether via a slot and a loop is a reliable and simple design approach.

Preferably the bracket is bent at its base and stands at a predeterminedangle to the direction of action of the tensile forces on commencementof the plastic deformation, these measures ensuring a controlleddeformation of the fastener element.

In a further development of the invention it is provided for that thebracket stands at an angle of approximately 90° to the direction ofaction of the tensile force on completion of the plastic deformation.Thereby, an effective limitation of the deformation travel of thebracket is possible.

The deformation properties of the bracket can be controlled to advantageby the bracket being provided with indentations and/or recesses. Toreinforce the bracket it can be beaded or profiled so that it presents ahigher resistance to deformation. Achieving deformation of the bracketalready at low forces is done by providing the bracket with aperforation, for example, in the portion being deformed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the invention read from the followingdescription and from the drawing to which reference is made and inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a section view of a gas bag module in accordance with theinvention,

FIG. 2 is a section view of the fastener element as shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 illustrates a fastener element in accordance with a secondembodiment of the invention, and

FIG. 4 illustrates a fastener element in accordance with a furtherembodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The gas bag module as shown in FIG. 1 comprises a housing in which afolded gas bag 12 and an inflator 14 are accommodated. By means of thefastener studs 16 the gas bag module is secured to a vehicle structure(not shown). A cover 18 conceals the gas bag module from the vehicleinterior. The cover 18 comprises a connection 20 for a tether 22 whichis connected to the gas bag module via a fastener element 24. Thefastener element 24 is secured to a flange of the housing 10 facing awayfrom the cover 18. When the inflator 14 is activated the gas bag 12deploys and moves the cover 18 upwards thus making way for deployment ofthe gas bag 12, the latter becoming able to deploy for protecting thevehicle occupant. Once the cover 18 has gone a predetermined distance,the tether 22 is tensioned. Due to the abrupt acceleration of the cover18 by the gas bag 12 on its deployment, the force of inertia of thecover 18 at this point in time is already so large that it causes, inconjunction with a lever arm dictated by the fastener element 24, amoment which is greater than a predetermined value. The fastener element24 is accordingly deformed in the direction of the arrow as shown inFIG. 1. Due to this deformation of the fastener element 24 the kineticenergy of the cover 18 is depleted in a controlled manner, and ascompared to a rigid fastening greatly reduced peak loads occur in thetether 22 and at its connections 20 and 24. If the cover 18 collides,for instance, with the windscreen in the course of deployment of the gasbag 12, its kinetic energy is already reduced to such an extent thatdamage to the windscreen is counteracted.

Referring now to FIG. 2 there is shown a section view of the fastenerelement 24 as illustrated in FIG. 1. The fastener element 24 isconfigured as a bracket made of a simple bent piece of sheet-metal. Abase 26 comprises a bent section 28 so that the bracket 24 can be safelyapplied to the housing 10 and secured thereto. The bracket 24 furthercomprises a bent-off web 30. The direction of action of the tensileforces occurring in the tether, also evident approximately from FIG. 1,on activation of the gas bag by the mass inertia of the cover, isindicated by an arrow F in FIG. 2. The bent-off web 30 of the bracket 24forms an angle of approximately 55° to this direction of action. Thedirection of action and the dimensions of the bracket 24 are generallydictated by the installation conditions. Due to the angular position ofthe bracket 24 the force of inertia of the cover is effective over alever length prompting a moment which ensures a controlled introductionof deformation of the bracket 24. The angular position of the bracket 24in this arrangement is dictated by a compromise resulting from therequirement for a favorable lever length for the acting force of inertiaand the necessary deformation travel. The bracket 24 is also providedwith a slot 32 into which the tether is looped. The tether is therebyplaced around a rounded bar 34 formed by bending the sheet-metalmaterial of the bracket 24, as a result of which the transfer of forcefrom the tether to the rounded bar 34 and thus to the bracket 24 is madeover a large surface area so that loading of the tether is reduced.

Referring now to FIG. 3 there is shown a fastener element 40 in a secondembodiment of the gas bag module in accordance with the invention. Thefastener element 40 is configured similar to the fastener element asshown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and consists of a fastener strip 42 provided withholes 44. Via the holes 44 the fastener element 40 can be secured to agas bag module. Formed on the fastener strip 42 are two webs 46 and 48,each of which is provided with a slot for receiving a respective tether.For gentle treatment of the tether both webs 46 and 48 comprise a slothaving a rounded bar. In the region of the webs 46 and 48 their base isformed in each case by a section of the fastener strip 42. Both webs 46and 48 are bent at their base and the region of the bend is providedwith beads 50 at the outer surface area. The beads 50 stiffen the webs46 and 48, respectively, so that they present a greater resistance todeformation.

Referring now to FIG. 4 there is shown a fastener element 60 configuredsimilar to the fastener element as shown in FIG. 3, it comprising afastener strip 62 including two webs 64 and 66 formed thereon. Each ofthe webs 64 and 66 is provided in the region of its bend with threeholes in the form of a perforation, as a result of which the webs 64 and66 are weakened in the region of their bend so that only a weakresistance to deformation is presented. With the aid of the fastenerelements as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 it is thus possible to adapt thedeformation properties to various assembly situations and covers.

What is claimed is:
 1. A gas bag module including a housing foraccommodating a folded gas bag, a cover connected to said housing by atleast one tether and a fastener element on said housing for connectionof said tether to said housing, said fastener element being plasticallydeformable when loaded by tensile forces in said tether as generated byinertial forces of said cover occurring on deployment of said gas bag,said fastener element comprising a fastener strip, said fastener stripbeing secured to a flange of said housing facing away from said cover.2. A gas bag module including a housing for accommodating a folded gasbag, a cover connected to said housing by a pair of tethers and afastener element on said housing for connection of one of said tethersto said housing, said fastener element being plastically deformable whenloaded by tensile forces in one of said tethers as generated by inertialforces of said cover occurring on deployment of said gas bag, saidfastener element comprising a fastener strip, said fastener strip beingintegrally formed with a pair of webs, each web being bent off from saidstrip at one of two opposed ends thereof, and each web being engaged byan end of one of said pair of tethers.
 3. A gas bag module including ahousing for accommodating a folded gas bag, a cover connected to saidhousing by a pair of tethers and a fastener element on said housing forconnection of one of said tethers to said housing, said fastener elementbeing plastically deformable when loaded by tensile forces in one ofsaid tethers as generated by inertial forces of said cover occurring ondeployment of said gas bag, said fastener element comprising a fastenerstrip, said fastener strip being integrally formed with a pair of webs,each web being bent off from said strip at one of two opposed endsthereof, and each web being engaged by an end of one of said pair oftethers, said fastener element having a transition zone between saidfastener strip and each of said webs, said transition zone beingprovided with at least one of indentations and recesses for controllingplastic deformation in said transition zone.